Supporting geographic education since 1946! BULLETINWinter/Spring 2016 Volume 70, No. 1 IN THIS ISSUE • CGS president’s column ...................1 • 2015-2016 Officers, board members, and associates ................2 • Student Profile .....................................2 • Field trips at the 2016 meeting...... 4 • Encouraging student involvement at the annual meeting ......................4 • Meet new members of the CGS board ......................................................5 DON’T FORGET, THE DEADLINE FOR PAPER & POSTER SUBMISSIONS IS The historic tower at SJSU and site of the APRIL 4TH! CGS Banquet CGS President’s Column By Jodi Titus, Irvine Valley College I have El Niño on my mind. Well, the Equatorial Pacific indicated an every day in February was above the more like searching for El Niño. As almost certain major weather event average with many days between 80° someone who loves the weather for California, and southern California and 90°, except for the first couple of and enjoys teaching freshmen in particular. After years of record days. I know we love our year-round Intro to Weather and Climate, I had breaking drought, a good soaking beach weather, but this just felt built up much anticipation on the seemed like a nice change in the weird! As I have been trying to figure impending Godzilla weather event. weather, even though we know it will out why this El Niño is so different, So, now we are nearing the end of not end the long-term drought for I have been focusing on Alaska and the rainy season and still no soaking, the state. the Arctic for answers. When I looked torrential rains in southern California at the average temperatures and that I recall from the 1982-83 and But after the strangest February I can snowfall in Alaska, the numbers 1997-98 events. The modeling recall, with record high temperatures were off the charts! Once again, the and forecast for this event have 20° to 30° above average and less Iditarod had to ship in snow for the shown all the elements needed for than an inch of rain, I wasn’t sure start of the race, because Alaska has a strong El Niño have been in place what was going on. An article in the only received one-third of its average for months. Large areas of above Los Angeles Times showed a graph of snowfall. They also had to shorten average SST, depressed thermocline the average daily high temperatures the first leg of the race to three miles, and diminishing Trade Winds along for February and what stood out was rather than the normal eleven mile www.calgeog.org 1 2015 - 2016: Officers, Board Members & Associates start. Could this be the beginning of we will be hosting our first ever luau! the end of the Iditarod? There will not only be traditional luau President: food, but entertainment by the SJSU Jodi Titus, Irvine Valley College When we meet at the end of April for Pacific Dance troupe. [email protected] our annual conference, I am sure we Vice President: will have lots to discuss regarding this If you have not registered yet, please Scott Crosier, Cosumnes River College year’s strange El Niño. I am hoping check out the field trip opportunities. [email protected] we will have perfect weather for our There will be trips to conference and no more surprises, Mountain View’s Computer History Secretary: but that’s the nature of weather! I love Museum and Googleplex, East Bay Sally Otton, San Joaquin Delta College the impossible predictability of it. And Breweries, South Bay Salt Ponds [email protected] if the forecasters are correct, we’ll be restoration project and a walking tour heading right back to La Niña in the of downtown San Jose, just to name a Treasurer: fall. Enjoy the rain while we can. few. And don’t forget to submit your Chris Castagna, CSU Sacramento abstracts and apply for scholarships! [email protected] One final note, I am very excited about the plans for the 70th CGS We are also looking for new board Past President: Jim Wanket, CSU Sacramento Conference at San Jose State this members to run for election at the [email protected] year! I want to commend Tiffany conference. Applications will be Seeley and everyone at SJSU for their posted on our website. It’s a great BOARD MEMBERS efforts in organizing a great event. group of people to work with, so Jennifer Campbell - American Red Cross Our traditional Friday night Barbeque I encourage you to join us! I look John Carroll - CSU Fullerton has been reimagined to fit this year’s forward to seeing all of you in San Kathryn Davis - San Jose State theme “Pacific Rim Connections” and Jose. Safe travels. Matthew Derrick - Humboldt State University Stephen Koletty - East Los Angeles College Jenn Kusler - USGS Student Spotlight Eric Kenas out on Jason Pittman - Folsom Lake College Submitted by: Chelsea Teale, Lucas Reyes - Humboldt State University the field! Humboldt State University Tiffany Seeley - SJSU/Berkeley City College Maureen Smith - Saddleback College Chris Straub - Allan Hancock College Erik Kenas joined the Humboldt State Benjamin Timms - Cal Poly SLO University Geography Department Jeff Underwood - Georgia Southern Univ. in the fall of 2012 following a 16-year Student: career in the armed forces. During Sabrina Esquivel - CSU Northridge his time in US Navy Erik gained Jennifer McHenry - UC Davis experience with mapping and remote sensing by utilizing military ASSOCIATES: (Non-board members) communication suites, radar, side- CGS Business Manager: scan sonar, drones, and GPS. Erik used Steve Graves, CSU Northridge these technologies in a variety of roles [email protected] as a Hospital Corpsman supporting US Navy and US Marine Corps diving Editor, CGS Bulletin: units, ranging from combat arms to Tiffany Seeley, SJSU/Berkeley City College [email protected] the Marine Mammal Program where he trained bottlenose dolphins to Editor, California Geographer: use their own remote sensing system Kathryn Davis, San Jose State (echolocation) for mine detection [email protected] and clearance. After beginning his Bachelor’s coursework at San Diego CGS Webmaster: City College he continued honoring Steven Graves, CSU Northridge [email protected] 2 www.calgeog.org the nautical tradition as a seasonal such units were available, UAS could commercial salmon fisherman out of become an indispensable component Wrangell, Alaska. of many academic degree programs as well as applied fields. The benefits Given his background in various of UAS, Erik argues, are its relatively The Bulletin mapping and remote sensing low cost but high spatial and temporal procedures and products, Erik naturally resolution for use in changing and welcomes gravitated toward Geography and remote/rugged environments. Geospatial Studies as programs With design and building of custom submissions on of study at Humboldt. He was units on hold for the time being, Erik first interested in Geography’s has continued expanding his interests what California’s consideration of both human and outside the classroom to include natural factors in natural resource salmonid habitat conservation and management and conservation but restoration in northern California geographers are began to focus on topics in physical rivers. He is currently involved geography where he believed his in PG&E’s Potter Valley Project, a doing around the technical skills and experience hydroelectric endeavor involving dams would be most applicable. Through and a diversion tunnel connecting the world and in the connections in the Geospatial Eel and Russian rivers. The growing Studies program he began working concern for salmonids has increased classroom! independently on the applications the need for high-resolution DEMs of of Unmanned Aircraft Systems the upper Eel River and its tributaries (UAS) in conservation. Erik’s initial to assess their potential for habitat interests, inspired by volunteer restoration after dam removal. Erik If you have a research work with the local Friends of the believes that UAS can provide sub- Dunes organization, were the meter resolution DEMs to replace the geomorphology of fluvial and coastal current 10-meter models and hopes to project, novel teaching dune systems—two rapidly changing present a pilot study in June following environments where conservationists graduation. ideas, or anything else would benefit from technology able to rapidly deliver accurate digital In the meantime, Erik continues you think would be elevation models (DEMs). coursework in Geography and has taken positions as an herbarium great to include in the His research continued through assistant and teaching assistant for the Student UAS Group (www. Mobile Mapping in the Geospatial thestudentuasgroup.com) and led to Studies program. His skillset has Bulletin, please contact the design and building of a custom grown to encompass ArcGIS, Structure rotary wing unit that he describes from Motion, LiDAR processing, and Tiffany Seeley at as a “giant flying lawnmower.” The field-based surveying. When he is difficulty in producing a suitable UAS not busy studying the Humboldt [email protected]. for research made Erik realize that landscape through the lenses of there is a real need for UAS within imagery and datasets, however, he applied academic contexts; there is a takes full recreational advantage of the general lack of affordable, off-the-shelf area’s beaches, mountains, and rivers. units for use by student and faculty A far cry from his native rural Wisconsin researchers working in conservation and adopted hometown of San Diego, and resource management. These Humboldt has nevertheless become units need to be inexpensive, simple to this geographer’s new professional use, and able to produce high-quality and personal interest—he may even data for use in academic research. If invest in a boat. www.calgeog.org 3 Go behind the Redwood Curtain! Story on pg.